Brake-lever.



'PATENTED MAY 12,-1903.

- LT. WHITE.

BRAKE LEVER.

. NITED STATES Patented May 12, 1903.

JAMES WHITE, OF KIMMSWIOK, MISSOURI.

BRA KE- LEVER.

SPEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 727,869, dated May 12, 1903.

Application filed February 6, 1903. Serial Nor142,l37. (N0 model.)

To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES WHITE, a citize of the United States, residing at Kim mswick, in the county of Jeiferson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Brake-Levers, of which the following is a specification, reference being bad therein to the accompanying drawings.

This invention relates to levers used for operating the braking mechanisms of vehicles and for other purposes.

The primary object of the invention is to provide means whereby the movement of such a lever may be readily and easily controlled. To accomplish this object, provision is made for the automatic engagement and release of the mechanism for retaining the lever inthe desired positions it assumes when power is applied thereto for operating the braking mechanism or forother purposes, this result being attained by thesame movement which works the lever.

Novel details will be apparent from the accompanying drawings, which show an embodiment of the invention for purposes of illustration and which form part hereof,when read in connection with the detaildescription hereinafter and the appended claims.

In the drawings like reference characters refer to corresponding parts in the several views.

Figure l is a View of the invention, so m neh of a wagon being shown as is necessary to illustrate its application .to a vehicle. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view of the lever and ratchet mech anism,the ratchet-teeth being shown in locked position. Fig. 3 is asimilar view showing the ratchet-teeth in unlocked position. Fig. 4 is a view of the rock-sleeve of the lever, and Fig.

'5 is a View of the rack in which the ratchetings, 1 designates the main bar of the lever,

which is fulcrumed to the hounds of a wagon or other suitable part at 2 and has connected to it a'rod or other means 3 for transmitting power to the brake or other mechanism to which it is applied. A sleeve 4 is pivoted to bolt 5 on and near the top of bar 1 and is held so as to have limited rocking movement with respect to said bar by a collar 6, which embraces said bar, the pivot-bolt 5 being near the bottom and the collar 6 near the top of sleeve 4.

Sleeve 4 is formed with a longitudinal slot 7, in whicha hand-bar Sis snugly but removably fitted, and with a transverse slot 9, in which travels a segmental ratchet-bar 10, having diagonally-arranged teeth 11. The slot 9 is'somewhat wider than bar 10. The longi-tudinal slot 7 extends from the top, but not the entire length, of sleeve 4, and slot 9 extends through said sleeve nearits bottom and beneath slot- 7.

The sleeve 4 is provided at its bottom with oppositely-disposed laterally-extending lugs 12 and 13, adapted to operate on the teeth 11 of ratchet-bar 10. The ratchet-bar 10 is hung at one end on the pivot 14 of the rack 15, which is fastened on a standard of a wagon or othersuitable part. Pivot 14 has a short key 16, and the apertureil? of ratchet-barlO,

through which this pivot passes, has a notch 18, corresponding to said key, to permit said bar being placed on or removed from its pivot.

This key 16 operates to hold the ratchet-bar,

on the pivot after said bar is slightly turned into its operative position.

When power is applied to hand-bar 8, so as to move the lever in the direction of the arrow, Fig, 2, in order to 'exert force against the brake or other mechanism, the lug 13 is disengaged from the ratchet-bar 1 0, and lug 12 runs on the teeth 11 of said ratchet-bar and locks therewith on. cessation of such movement, operating to holdfthe lever tightly in place in an obvious manner.

When it is desired to release the brake or other mechanism against which force is held, power isapplied to hand-bar 8 in the opposite direction, as shown by the arrow, Fig. 3. Thereupon sleeve 4,'rocking slightly on its pivot, the lug 13 is raised and engages and slightly raises ratchet-bar 10, and the lug 12 is lowered and as a result of this movement and of the slight rising of the ratchet-bar becomes disengaged and unlocked from the Ioo I It is seen, therefore, that the erator and the lever permitted to travel as far as desired in such movement. The collar 6 controls the rocking movement of the sleeve 4, preventing said sleeve rocking too far in either direction.

The slot 9 being of somewhat greater width than ratchet-bar 10, the slight rise and fall of said ratchet-bar incident to operation is readily permitted. A spring 19 is fastened at 20 in a suitable manner to sleeve 4, so as to bear against bar 1 in order to hold sleeve 4 normally in such position that lug 12 will be disengaged from teeth 11 to permit of easy releasing movement. An eye 21 is provided on sleeveat in orderthat a hook may be inserted therein when desired for purposes of operating the lever.

It will be evident that many modifications in the details of construction and alterations in the arrangement of parts can readily be made vsithout in the least departing from the nature and spirit of this invention.

Having thus described myinvention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. A brake-lever, comprising a main bar, a sleeve pivoted on said main bar, a pivoted ratchet bar codperating with said sleeve, teeth on said ratchet-bar, a lug on said sleeve adapted to lock with said teeth, and another lug on said sleeve adapted to engage said ratchet-bar and unlock said first-mentioned lug from said teeth,substantially as described.

2. A brake-lever, comprising a main bar, a sleeve pivoted on said main bar and capable of rocking movement thereon, a collar on said sleeve to control said rocking movement, a pivoted ratchet-bar codperating with said sleeve, teeth on said ratchet-bar, a lug on said sleeve adapted to lock with said teeth, and another lug on said sleeve adapted to engage said ratchet-bar and unlock said first-mentioned lug from said teeth, substantially as described.

3. A-brake-lever, comprising a main bar, a sleeve pivoted on said main bar and capable of rocking movement thereon, a collar on said sleeve to control said rocking movement, a transverse slot in said sleeve, a pivoted ratchet-bar operating through said transverse slot, teeth on said ratchet-bar, a lug on said sleeve adapted to lock with said teeth, and another lug on said sleeve adapted to engage said ratchet-bar and unlock said first-mentioned lug from said teeth, substantially as described.

4. A brake-lever, comprising a'main bar, a sleeve pivoted on said main bar and capable of rocking movement thereon, a collar on said sleeve to control said rocking movement, a transverse slot in said sleeve, a pivoted ratchet-bar operating through said transverse slot, teeth on said ratchet-bar, oppositelydisposed lateral lugs on said sleeve, one of said lugs being adapted to engage with said teeth when said sleeve is rocked in one direction, and the other of said lugs to be engaged with said teeth when said sleeve is rocked in the other direction, substantially as described.

5. A brake-lever, comprising a main bar pivoted near one end, a sleeve pivoted on said main bar near the other end thereof and capable of rocking motion thereon, a pivoted ratchet-bar cooperating with said sleeve,teeth on said ratchet-bar, a lug on said sleeve adapted to lock with said teeth, and another lug on said sleeve adapted to engage said ratchet-bar and unlock said first-mentioned lug from said teeth,s ubstantially as described.

6. A brake-lever, comprising a main bar pivoted near one end, a sleeve pivoted on said main bar near the other end thereof and capable of rocking motion thereon, a collar on said sleeve and embracing said main bar to control said rocking movement, a pivoted ratchet-bar cooperating with said sleeve, teeth on said ratchet bar, a lug on said sleeve adapted to lock with said teeth, and another lug on said sleeve adapted to engage said ratchet-bar and unlock said first-mentioned lug from said teeth,substantially as described.

7. A brake-lever, comprising a main bar pivoted near one end, a sleeve pivoted on said main bar near the other end thereof and capable of rocking motion thereon, a collar on said sleeve and embracing said main bar to control said rocking motion, a transverse slot through said sleeve, a pivoted ratchet-bar operating through said slot, teeth on said ratchetbar, a lug on said sleeve adapted to lock with said teeth, and another lug on said sleeve adapted to engage said ratchet-bar and unlock said first-mentioned lug from said teeth, substantially as described.

8. A brake-lever, comprising a main bar pivoted near one end, a sleeve pivoted on said main bar near the other end thereof and capable of rocking motion thereon, a collar on said sleeve and embracing said main bar to control said rocking motion, a transverse slot through said sleeve, a pivoted ratchet-bar operating through said slot, diagonally-projecting teeth on said ratchet-bar, a lug on said sleeve adapted to lock with said teeth, and another lug on said sleeve adapted to engage said ratchet-bar and unlock said first-mentioned lug from said teeth, substantially as described.

9. A brake-lever, comprising a main bar pivoted near one end, a sleeve pivoted on said main bar near the other end thereof and capable of rocking motion thereon, a collar on said sleeve and embracing said main bar to control said rocking motion, a transverse slot through said sleeve, a pivoted ratchet-bar operating through said slot, diagonally-project ing teeth on said ratchet-bar, a laterally-disposed lug on one side of said sleeve adapted to lock with said teeth, and another lug on said sleeve adapted to engage said ratchetbar and unlock said first-mentioned lug from said teeth, substantially as described.

10. A brake-lever, comprising a main bar pivoted. near one end, asleeve pivoted on said main bar near the other end thereof and capable of rocking motion thereon, a collar on said sleeve and embracing said main bar to control said rocking motion, a transverse slot through said sleeve, a pivoted ratchet-bar operating through said slot, diagonally-projecting teeth on said ratchet-bar, a laterally-disposed lug on one side of said sleeve adapted to lock with said teeth, and anotherlaterallydisposed lug on the other side of said sleeve adapted to engage said ratchet-barand unlock said first-mentioned lug from said teeth, substantially as described. I

11. A brake-lever, comprising a main bar pivoted near one end, a sleeve pivoted on said main bar near the other end thereof and capable of rocking motion thereon, a collar on said sleeve and embracingsaid main bar to control said rocking motion, a transverse slot through said sleeve, a pivoted ratchet-bar operating through said slot,diagonally-projecting teeth on said ratchet-bar, a laterally-disposed lug on one side of said sleeve and adapt edto rise and fall and lock with and unlock from said teeth, and another laterallydisposed log on the other side of said sleeve and adapted to engage and raise said ratchet-bar and thereby assist in unlocking said firstmentioned lug from said teeth, substantially as described.

12. A brake-levemcomprising a main bar pivoted near one end, a sleeve pivoted on said main bar near the other end thereof and capable of rocking motion thereon, a collar on said sleeve and embracing said main bar to control said rockingmotion, a transverse slot through said sleeve,-a pivoted ratchet-bar operating through said slot, diagonally-projecting teeth on said ratchet-bar, a laterally-disposed lug on one side of saidsleeve adapted to lock with said teeth, another laterally-disposed lug on the other side of said sleeve adapted to engage said ratchet-bar. and unlock said first-mentioned lug from said teeth, and a spring for normally holding said firstmentioned lug unlocked from said teeth, substantially as described.

13. A brake-lever, comprising a main bar pivoted near one end, a sleeve pivoted on said main bar near the other endthereof and capable of rocking motion thereon, a collar on said sleeve and embracing said main bar to control said rocking motion, a transverse slot through said sleeve, a pivoted ratchet-bar. operating through said slot, diagonally-projecting teeth on said ratchet-bar, a laterally-disposed lug on one side of said sleeve adapted to lock with said teeth, another laterally-dis posed lug on the other side of said sleeve adapted to engage said ratchet-bar and unlock said first-mentioned lug from said teeth,

and a spring fastened to said sleeve and operating'on said'main bar for normally holding said first-mentioned lug unlocked from said teeth, substantially as described.

14:. A brake-lever, comprising a main bar pivoted near one end, a sleeve pivoted on said main bar near the other end thereof and capable of rocking motion thereon, a collar on said sleeve and embracing said main bar to control said rocking motion, a transverse slot through said sleeve, a pivoted ratchet-bar opalongitudinal slot in said sleeve, and a hand-L bar fittingin said longitudinal slot, substantially as described. 7

. 15. In combination with a vehicle, a brakecontrolling mechanism ,com prising a main bar pivoted near one of its ends to the vehicle; a sleeve pivoted on said main bar near the other end thereof and capable of rocking mo} tion thereon, a collar on said sleeve and embracing said main bar to control said rocking motion, a transverse slot through said sleeve,

a ratchet-baroperating throughsaid slot and independently pivoted to the vehicle, diagonally-projecting teeth on said ratchet-bar, a

laterally-disposedlug on one side ofsaid sleeve adapted to lockwith' said teeth, an-

other laterally-disposed lug on the other side of said sleeve adapted to engage said ratchet;

bar and unlock said first-mentioned lug from saidteeth, a leaf-spring fastened to said sleeve and operating on said main bar for normally holding said first-mentioned lug unlocked from said teeth, a longitudinal slot in said sleeve, a hand-bar fittinginsaid longitudinal slot, and means connected to the said main I bar for transmitting motion therefrom to the brake, substantially as described. v

16. The combination Wllih an operating lever, a member 'movablyjconnected thereto,

a shiftable rack, and oppositely-disposed pro-- jections secured to and'carried by said movable member arranged] in operative relation to said shiftable rack, substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JAMES WHITE.

Witnesses:

CHAS. J. WHITE,

RALPH HUNT. 

